Recently, multiple multilayer ceramic capacitors having advantages such as compactness, guaranteed high capacitance, and ease in the mounting thereof are being used in various electronic devices.
Multilayer ceramic capacitors are mounted on boards of various electronic products, such as computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or mobile phones in order to charge or discharge electricity.
A multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) may include a plurality of dielectric layers and internal electrodes having a structure in which the internal electrodes, having opposite polarities, are disposed alternately between the dielectric layers.
The dielectric layers may have piezoelectric and electrostrictive properties. Thus, when a direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) voltage is applied to the MLCC, a piezoelectric phenomenon may occur between the internal electrodes, causing vibrations.
Vibrations may be transferred to a board on which the MLCC is mounted, through external electrodes of the MLCC, making the entirety of the board act as an acoustically reflective surface, which generates vibratory sound as noise.
The vibratory sound may correspond to audio frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, causing discomfort for listeners, and such a vibratory sound, which may cause discomfort for listeners, is commonly known as acoustic noise.
In order to reduce such noise, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-306764, a lead terminal is bonded to external electrodes, to suppress transmission of mechanical vibrations generated in a condenser to a board. However, a limitation remains in preventing a transmission of noise to the board through the lead terminal.